Traverse carriage knock-off mechanism



Oct. 5, 1937. r .1. E. LOVELY v TRAVERSE CARRIAGE KNOCK-OFF MECHANISM Filed Aug. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 MAW Oct. 5, 1937. I Y J LOVELY 2,094,994-

TRAVERSE CARRIAGE KNOCK-OFF MECHANISM Filed Aug. 26, 1935 4 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Oct, 5, 1937. J. E. LOVELY TRAVERSE CARRIAGE KNOCK-OFF MECHANISM Fi'lqd Aug. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-She'et 3 Oct. 5', 1937. J. E. LOVELY 2,094,994

' TRAVERSE CARRIAGE KNOCK-OFF MECHANISM A Filed Aug. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 130572257 I M JfiZiMTIWMQ/ M,

Patented Oct; 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE raavsasn csaamea xNocx-orr-uacnmsn John E. Lovely, Springfield, Vt, asslgnor to Jones & Lamson MachlneCompany, Springfield, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Application August 26, 1935, Serial No. 37,887 I Claims.

It has been usual practice heretofore when chasing threads on a turret lathe'or the like, to automatically unclutch the driving connections to the lead screw at the desired limit of traverse and then to release the nut-by hand.

In accordance with invention, however, mechanism is provided for automatically disconnecting the nut from the lead screw when the desired length of work has been operated upon. This eliminates the necessity of the additional hand operation heretofore required.

It is often desirable to provide for a feed of the saddle or carriage by means other than the lead screw, as, for example, by a rack and pinion, either the lead screw or other means being usable selectively. An automatic knock ofi for one such other feed means is shown in my Patent No.

2,006,144 granted June 25, 1935.

A further object of this invention, therefore, is to associate this lead screw disconnecting mechanism with such other feed knock-off, so that any type of carriage feed may be employed at will, certain actuating mechanism being common to all.

For a more completeunderstanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a mechanism embodying this invention.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are detail sections on the correspondingly numbered section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cam member.

as shown, is provided with'a head 3 provided with suitable means well known in the art for securing the lead screw and lead shaft together. This lead screw is rotatable within a sleeve 4 forming part of the tool carriage of the machine, this sleeve 4 being shown as provided with a casing portion 5 integral therewith, this casing having an upper wall member-8 from which ex.-

tend spaced side wall members 1 and I, which are partly closed off at their outer ends by the alined spaced wall portions 9 and I0, respectively. Between the wall portions 1 and 8 is fulcrumed Mating the threads of this perforation are threads of a sleeve l9 through which extends the shank 2|),carrying on its inner end a nut segment 2| in position to mate the threads of the lead screw 2; -The inner planeend 22'of the sleeve I9 engages against the back face of the segment 2|. k the back face of the segment 2|, and a,washer 25 secured to the rear end of the shank 2|], as by means of a screw, the headof which is shown at 26. The threaded sleeve |9 may be provided with a polygonal head 21 to facilitate engagement by a'wrench so that the sleeves l9 and 22 can be adjusted in or out in the perforation 16, thus to insure proper engagement of the nut segment with the lead screw when the lever is. in its operatively engaged position, as will later appear. Means, such as a set screw 29, hearing on a plug 30 may be employed to lock the sleeve IS in any adjusted position. v

The free end of the lever |5 has extended therethrough a sleeve 35 having a counterbored portion 36. Slidable through this sleeve is a latch element 31 having a head 38 riding in the counterbored portion 36 of the sleeve 35. A coil spring 39 seated in this counterbored portion receive the latch portion 40 and which also hasslidable therein a latch release pin 45. This release pin has an enlarged diameter portion 48 terminating in a head 41. Av coil spring 48 reacts between the base of the enlarged portion 46 and'the base of a counterbored portion 49 in the plug 4| and normally holds the inner end of the release pin retracted sufficiently-bene'ath the ingagement therewith of the latch element 40, but

The sleeve l9 fills the space between ner endof the plug 4| to permit latching enby exerting inward pressure against the head 41 l the release pin 45 may be pressed inwardly sufficiently to retract the latch and release it from its engagement in the perforation 43. The

weight of the lever 15 and the parts carried thereby bias the lever to swing the segment 2| out of engagement with the lead screw 2 and thus interrupt the driving traverse connections between the lead screw and the tool carria A pin It passing through the head ii of the plug 4| and through a slot 52 through the portion 46, serves to limit the amplitude of motion of the release pin 45 and to hold the release pin in. assembled relation within the perforation l3.

Means are provided for automatically actuating the release pin to force the latch into inoperative position and allow the disconnection of thenut segment from the lead screw when the traversing carriage approaches the desired limit of motion. Thismeans, as shown, comprises an adjustable fixed stop 60 carried by a suitable part SI of the machine bed and shown as provided at its outer end with an abutment screw 62, which may be secured in adjusted position in the end of the stop,'as by means of a lock nut 63. The tool carriage has mounted for movement therein in its direction of traverse a slide member II, which may be provided with a screw abutment I8 adjustable by turning, and in position to impinge against the head of the stop screw It, thus to stop further traverse of the slide I! while the tool carriage continues its motion sufliciently to operate the latch release mechanism to disconnect the nut segment 2! from the lead screw. The mechanism by which this latch is disconnected will now be described.

The slide member 65, as shown best in Figure 1, is provided with a pull rod ll threaded at its inner end into the slide 65, and having a necked portion ll terminating in ahead I2. This head may be provided with a perforation II for the reception of a suitable bar by which the pull rod may be turned to adjust the extent to which the head 12 projects from the face of the member I. Arranged to engage over this pull rodat the neck II is a bar 15, shown best in Figure 3 as provided with a slot 18 at one edge, through which the neck portion Iiv may pass, this slot being of such a size that the inner beveled end of the head 12 may impinge on the marginal portions thereof, which arebeveled as at 11. The bar I! is secured, as by screws 10, to a lever 00, fulcrumed on the pin ll whichis held between a pair of jaws l2 projecting from a supporting bracket 88 rockable on the plug 4|. A handle an secured at its inner end to the bracket it facilitates turning of the bracket about the axis of the latch and release pins to bring the bar ll into or out of cooperative relation to the pull rod 10. This lever Q. carries at one end a pin 84 provided with a head 85 positioned opposite to the head 41 of the latch release pin 45. The spring 48, pressing the release pin 4| outwardly against the lever ll, holds the beveled surface of the left hand face of the bar 15 in engagement with the beveled portion II which coacts as a latch mechanismto hold the bracket ll in the operative rocked position shown, though by pressing down on the handle I" the lever ll may be roiiked against the action of the spring 4| suiilclently to;..disenga'ge the bar fl! from the rod I. so that the-bracket 83 may be swung-forward and downward to render theknock-oil inoperative when desired. As the traversing carriage'oontinues its motion to the left, as shown in Figure 1, after the screw I has struck the screw .2 and the traversing motion of themember ll has been stopped, the head 12 of the pull rod engaging on the marginal portion 11 of the bar ll, rocks this .bar and the lever Ill about-the fulcrum II and presses the latch release pininwardly until the latch is moved out of latching relation to the member ll, whereupon the lever ll carrying the nut segment ii drops the lever 80 in the opposite direction. Besides this automatic means for'releasing the latch mechanism, means are provided for releasing itmember 94, shown detached in Figure 5. This cam member is provided on its inner face with a pair of recesses 08, one side 91 of each of which is inclined and provides a cam surface for engagement with the corresponding follower 93. -This cam 94 is pinned to the latch bar '31 as by the pin 98, which passes through diametrically arranged slots 99 in the sleeve 35. The handle it is normally held in angular relation to the lever l5 shown in Figure 2, this being accomplished by means of a plug Hill seated in a socket Ill in the lever ii and backed up by a coil spring ill, the

outer end of this plug bearing on a hardened head I03 of anelement Ill inserted into the handle member 90 between the branches 9| and 82. An end wall portion I06 on the lever I5, engaging the handle 90 between the branches ii and 82, serves as a stop to limit the upward rocking of the handle as pressed by the spring pressed plug Ill, and a lower inclined wall portion Hi1 on the lever I5 acts as a stop to limit the downward rocking motionof the handle when it is pressed downwardly by hand against the pressure of the spring pressed plug i00. In the normal upward position of the handle the cam followers 93 rest in the deeper portions of the recesses 06 so that the latch member 31 may be pressed outwardly to its limit of motion in position to latch into the member ll.

Upon downward rocking of the handle 80, however, the branch 9! is turned about the axis of the sleeve to an extent sufiicient to bring the cam follower 83 against the inclined faces ll of these recesses suilicientlyvto force the cam ll outwardly and with it the latch 31 to retract this latch from operative condition so that the lever it may swing downwardly and remove the nut segment 2| from engagement with the lead screw 2.

In Figures 6 and 7 the lead screw knock-oi! mechanism is shown as employed in connection with a knock-oil mechanismof the type-shown in my Patent No. 2,006,144, to which reference has been made, either driving traversing arrangement, the lead screw or rack and pinion, being employed at will but with certain' common knock-on actuating parts. The slide member fill herein illustrated is the spool I of'the patent, which; when it moves against the fixed stop,

and the carriage continues its movement, causes release of the latch pin at I25, which may have previously held the handle I28, corresponding to the. handle I of the patent, in elevated position with the. rack I21 and pinion I! feed in opera- .tive. condition, thus to disconnect this feed.

when it is desired to employ the rack and pinion feed, the handle '0 will be depressed to disconnect the lead screw segment, and the handle I" may be depressed also to disconnect the bar it from the pull rod 10, and the handle lflwlli' modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope or this invention as de fined by the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. In combination, a traversing carriage, a rotary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out of engagement with said screw and biased out of such engagement, a latch for holding said segment in engagement with said screw, a fixed stop, a member movably carried by said carriage and engageable with said stop as said carriage approaches a desired traverse limit to be stopped while the motion of said carriage continues, and means actuated by the further motion of said carriage after the motion of said member with said carriage has been stopped to release said latch.

2. In combination, a traversing carriage, a rotary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into'and out of engagement with said screw and biased out of such engagement, a latch ior holding said segment in engagement with said screw, a fixed stop, a

member movably carried by said carriage and i engageable with said stop as said carriage approaches a desired traverse limit to be stopped while the motion of said carriage continues, means actuated by the further motion 01' said carriage after the motion of said member with said carriage has been stopped to release said latch, and means actuated to move said latchreleasing means into and out of operative positions. j

3. In combination, a traversing carriage, a

rotary lead screw, a lever iulcrumed on an axis substantially parallel to said lead screw and held against motion axially thereof, a nut segment carried by said lever for engagement with said lead screw and normally biased by the weight of said lever and segment away from contact with said screw, a spring latch carried by said lever, a socket member fixed to said carriage and with which said latch cooperates to hold said segment in screw-engaging position, a fixed stop, a member movably carried by said carriage in position to impinge on said stop as said carriage approaches a limit of traverse to be moved relative to said carriage as said carriage moves after such impingement, a latch release rod slidable in said socket member, and connections between said member and rod to. cause such relative movement between said carriage and member to project said rod against and release said latch from said socket.

4. .In. combination, a traversing carriage, a rotary lead screw, a lever fulcrumed on an axis substantially parallel to said lead screw and held against motion axially thereof, a nut segment carried by said lever for engagement with said lead screw and normally biased by the weight of said lever and segment away from contact with said screw, a spring latch carried by said lever, a socket member fixed to said carriage and with which said latch cooperates to hold said segment in screw -engaging position, a fixed stop, a member movably carried bysaid carriage in position to impinge on said stop as said carriage approaches a limit of traverse to be moved relative to said carriage as said carriage moves after such impingement, a latch-release rod slidable in said socket member, connections between said member and rod to cause such relative movement between said carriage and member to project said rod against and release said latch from said socket, and means actuable to render said connections inoperative.

5. In combination, a traversing carriage, a rotary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out of operative engagement with said screw and biased out of such engagement, a latch effective to retain said nut in operative position relative to said screw, a fixed stop, a member movably carried by said carriage in position to impinge'on said stop as said carriage approaches a traversing limit to be stopped while said carriage continues its motion, a latch release mechanism cooperating with said member to cause such continuing motion of said carriage to release said latch, and means for moving said release mechanism into and out of cooperative relation to said member.

6. In combination, a traversing carriage, a rotary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out of operativetion, a latch socket member, a latch release pin movably carried by 'said socket member, and

means pivoted coaxially with said release pin foractuating said latch pin to release said latch, and rockable about its pivot into and out of cooperative relation to said movable carriage member.

7. In combination, a traversing carriage, a. rotary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out of operative.

engagement with said screw and biased out of such engagement, a latch effective to retain said nut in operative position relative to said screw,

a iixed stop, a member movably carried by said carriage in position to impinge on said stop as said carriage approaches a traversing limit to be stopped while said carriage continues its motion, a head on said member, means including an element having a slot engageable over a portion of saidmember and cooperating with said head to release said latch bythe continued motion of said carriage after the motion therewith of said member has been stopped, and means for moving. said slotted element into or outof co-operation with said member.

8. In combination, a traversing carriage,'a rotary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out. of operative engagement with said screw and biased out of such engagement, a latch effective to retain said nut in operative position relative .to said screw,

lease pin, said axis lying substantially parallel to the direction 01 carriage traverse, and a lever fulcrumed on said support transverse to said axis, said lever having a part engageable with said latch release pin and a part having a slot movable on rocking or said support into or out oi operative engagement with said movable member. V m V 9. In combinatioifa traversing carriage, a rdtary lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out of operativeably carried by said socket member. a supp rt rockabie on an axis concentric with said release pin, said axis lying substantially parallel to the direction of carriage traverse, and a lever fulcrumed on said support transverse to said axis, said lever having a part engageable with said latch release pin and a part having a slot movable on rocking of said support into or out of operative engagement with said movable member, saidslotted part and said member having portions coactins to releasably latch said support in operative angular position.

10, In combination, a traversing carriage, a rotary, lead screw, a nut segment carried by said carriage and movable into and out of operative engagement with said screw and biased out of such engagement.- a latch effective to retain said nut in operative position relative to said screw, a fixed stop, a member movably carried by said carriage in position to impinge on said stop as said carriage approaches a traversing limit to be stopped 'while said carriagecontinues its motion, a latch socket member, a latch release pin movably carried by said socket member, a support rockable on an axis concentric with said release pin; said axis lying substantially parallel to the direction of carriage traverse, and a lever iulcrumed on said support transverse to said axis, said lever having a part engageable with said latch release pin and a part having a slot movable on rocking of said support into or out of operative engagement with said movable member, said slotted part and said member having complementally beveled engaging latch faces releasably holding said support in operative angular position.

11. In combination with a traversing carriage and a plurality of means 'ior selectively producing traverse of said carriage, oi a stop, a member movablymou'nted on said'carriage ior impingement on said stop, and means actuated on the iurther motion oi said carriage after such impingement for rendering inoperative the selected traverse-producing means.

12. In combination with a and a plurality of means for selectively producing traverse oi said carriage, one oi said meansicomprising a lead screw and a nut element engage:

laple with said lead screw, of a stop, a member movibly carried by said carriage for impingement on said stop, and means actuated on the further motion of said" carriage after such imtraversing carriage pingement has occurred forrendering inoper-I ative the selected traverse-produciniineansrsaid lead screw and nut-traversing means is selected to produce such inoperativeness by disconnection of said nut from-said lead screw.

13. In combination with a traversing carriage, a plurality of means for selectively producing traverse of said carriage, a latch 101' each such 10' inoperative rendering means acting when saidmeans for holding its respective means in operative condition, and means biasing each of said traverse-producing means to inoperative condition, of a stop, a member movably mounted on said carriage ior impingement on said stop as said carriage is traversed and means actuated by continued movement of said carriage after such impingement to release said latches.

1,4. In combination with a traversing carriage, a plurality of means for selectively producing traverse of said carriage, one of said means comprising a lead screw and a nut element engageable with said lead screw, a latch for each-such means for holding its respective means in operative condition, andmeans biasing each of said traverse-producing means to inoperative condition, said biasing means for said lead screw and nut. element tending to separate said element from said screw, of a stop, a member movably mounted on said carriage ior impingement on said stop as said carriage is traversed, and means "actuated by continued movement of said carriage after such impingement to release said latches.

15. In combination with a traversing carriage,

a plurality of means for selectively producing traverse oi. said carriage, one of said means comprising a lead screw and a nut element engageable with said lead screw, a latch for each suchmeans for holding its respective means in opera- 

